Summer UEFA Euro 2012

[Jorge D. Dragon]

Of course Czech Republic was one of the weakest among those who reached the quaterfinals. but still they deserved this place at least because they showed passion and the will to play up to the end. After a great loss by 4-1 against Russia they managed to show a great progress both in attack and defense and managed to get to quaterfinals. Of course I didn't expect them to win against Portugal, but at least they managed not to loose with some awful score. Of course Portugal and Ronaldo in particular weren't lucky and they also had Postiga injured, but still czechs also played ok and had several moments.
If we are talking among the weakest team in quaterfinals... I would name Griece. Maybe it's because I just don't like how they play, but primarly I can't find any real game they play. I believe Germany might stomp Griece today if Germany scores an early goal.

 

[jorped]

Portugal got lucky and was matched up against a team that really didn't belong there in my opinion. No one else in the tournament will be so lucky to face a team of that level.

That being said, Portugal deserved to win.

Lucky? To get this match up we needed to survive the most difficult group of all ... Denmark, Netherlands and Germany. Ofc we were matched up against one of the easiest that have made it to the next round ... but still it wasn't an easy opponent. We all knew how the Czech would play .. which was with almost all players behind the line of the ball.
Greece isn't also that strong ...but we all know well that it might end being a difficult game for Germany ... i still don't forget the way we lost the final of the Euro 2004 in our own place ... but i think both Portugal and Germany kinda deserve to have this weaker opponents by now because the groups phase was really that difficult compared to others's groups.

Also Czech has some good players ... but the result ended being kinda small for our exhibition and our opportunities. And once again Ronaldo sends the ball 2 times to the crossbar. So far after the critics 2 excellent exhibitions .. lets hope he keeps that way. BTW great game of Moutinho ... great player that i have the pleasure of seeing playing on my team (FC Porto). Pepe once again perfect ... Coentrão also playing really well. Nani, made a really good second half. All players should be happy cuz they have been playing really well, much better than i previously had anticipated.

Now between France and Spain ... i think we would have more chances against France i think, though and year ago or so we beated Spain on a friendly game by 4-0 ... but i say France cuz it would also be the perfect time to get our revenge ... over the last competitions, they have managed to eliminate us plenty of times ... and right now even if they still have a good team, with Nasri, Ribery,Benzema ... it hasn't the quality of the France of Zidane, Henry ....

 

[xi0]

Lucky? To get this match up we needed to survive the most difficult group of all ... Denmark, Netherlands and Germany. Ofc we were matched up against one of the easiest that have made it to the next round ... but still it wasn't an easy opponent. We all knew how the Czech would play .. which was with almost all players behind the line of the ball.
Greece isn't also that strong ...but we all know well that it might end being a difficult game for Germany ... i still don't forget the way we lost the final of the Euro 2004 in our own place ... but i think both Portugal and Germany kinda deserve to have this weaker opponents by now because the groups phase was really that difficult compared to others's groups.

Like is often the case, this Euro's "Group of Death" wasn't as stout as it seemed on paper. I'm not even sure if that was the actual Holland team...maybe the team got replaced by clones . Denmark was a nice surprise, but they benefited from facing a Holland team that was asleep at the wheel. Seriously, one of the biggest disappointments in any competition I can remember. Funnily enough, the only team Denmark show marked improvement on attack was against Portugal, but their attack obviously wasn't enough.

So it is how the cards fell and Portugal couldn't help who they faced, but they weren't terribly impressive against the Czech Republic. I didn't say they were lucky to be there, I said they were lucky to have such an opponent for the quarterfinals. And yeah, you have to have luck in the match-ups to have a shot at winning.


Another thing unrelated though - expanding the tournament to 24 teams next year seems like such an awful idea to me. Yes it will be more to watch, but having another schizophrenic group like A where they all beat the snot out of each other, or having the potential for there no longer being any tough groups in the competition...ugh. And you can't compare it to the World Cup, there are teams who get in who are outclass by some of the UEFA teams that get left out yes. But you also have a multitude of strong teams from South America, as well as Mexico and even the US at times. I think the larger format of the WC balances things like that out. Adding more teams to the Euro...not the same.

 

[jorped]

Holland was definitely a disappointment but, it also happened because everyone studied them well. They have a terrible defense .. and also players like Van Persie, Huntellar ... weren't on the level they already showed to us before ... still it was merit of Portugal, Germany and Denmark.
We definitely weren't impressive, but we had a lot opportunities against a team that since the beginning of the game, showed what were their intentions to the game .. which was to manage to not suffer a goal and possibly on a counter attack score. It will be the same strategy Greece will probably have against Germany.
But so far i think that our games have been kinda interesting and our performances have been quite good, specially compared to other teams, so saying we weren't terrible impressing, though being the truth, would be the same as saying has almost no one really was until now.

If we look to Spain, they only made a good game, which was against, much likely, the weakest team that made to the final stage of the Euro ... the other games they were rather normal and nothing exciting at all ... against Croatia ,they even had to have the help of the referee to get to next phase, that doesn't see 1 penalty .. people say it was 2, but as i didn't see it i can't talk about it ... but the one i saw was clearly a penalty, with (Busquet i think) clearly doing fault..
Can't wait for their game against France ... right now i am not 100% confident we will get to the finals but we can clearly beat both Spain or France ... i think we just have to keep playing like a team, like we have been.

 

[xi0]

You can't possibly suggest that people studying Holland figured them out and exploited it to such an extent? How about their team just performed poorly? If one could so easily figure out a perennial powerhouse, why hasn't anyone done the same for Germany or Spain? Why weren't they sent home early with no points?

I never said anything about Portugal's entertainment value. I've enjoyed watching them, they have many good players. Saying Portugal hasn't been terribly impressive is not the same as saying it about any other team. Germany has outclassed everyone they played. Yes, Portugal played them tough and could have won, but they didn't...

How has Spain only had one good game? This has always been Spain's M.O. Possess the ball until the opposing team cracks. How many matches did Spain play in WC 2010 where they outscored the opponent by more than one goal?...One. Only one, and they never scored more than twice a match in the entire competition. Now whether Portugal can beat either Spain or France, who knows? That's the beauty of the knockout round, someone will have to win. I'm not sure if they can beat Spain at their own game, which is how Portugal beat Czech Republic in my opinion. France? Sure they could, their team looks schizoid to me.

 

[jorped]

You can't possibly suggest that people studying Holland figured them out and exploited it to such an extent? How about their team just performed poorly? If one could so easily figure out a perennial powerhouse, why hasn't anyone done the same for Germany or Spain? Why weren't they sent home early with no points?

Of course not ... but Holland had internal issues from the start, and since the beginning it was obvious they had a terrible defense. At least here in Portugal, it was the general opinion about them. The most important thing would be to stop their attack cuz if that happened, we were almost sure that sooner or later we would score ... and we all know based on the news that the environment around Holland wasn't the best. Basically a place full of stars .. everyone trying to reach the spotlight instead of thinking as a team, and everything became worse for them after lossing against Denmark.... we can't possibly compare them to both Germany and Spain ... because their structure is much stronger. Spain is basically, Barcelona and Real Madrid players ... Germany is Bayern and Dortmund ... which means that a lot of the players from Germany for example played and trained with most of the other players of their national team, during the last year or even more. This kinda of structure is much harder to beat. For example back in Euro 2004, Portugal who reached the final, by winning a group, with Russia, Spain and Greece .. eliminating England and Holland, was made by most of the players that at that same year won the champions league with my team, FC Porto. Ricardo Carvalho, Nuno Valente, Paulo Ferreira, Deco, Maniche, Costinha ...

I never said anything about Portugal's entertainment value. I've enjoyed watching them, they have many good players. Saying Portugal hasn't been terribly impressive is not the same as saying it about any other team. Germany has outclassed everyone they played. Yes, Portugal played them tough and could have won, but they didn't...

How has Spain only had one good game? This has always been Spain's M.O. Possess the ball until the opposing team cracks. How many matches did Spain play in WC 2010 where they outscored the opponent by more than one goal?...One. Only one, and they never scored more than twice a match in the entire competition.
Now whether Portugal can beat either Spain or France, who knows? That's the beauty of the knockout round, someone will have to win. I'm not sure if they can beat Spain at their own game, which is how Portugal beat Czech Republic in my opinion. France? Sure they could, their team looks schizoid to me.

The problem isn't that Spain only scored one goal. That doesn't say anything .. but their game ended being really poor ... i mean they still controlled the ball .. but didn't manage to do anything "productive" with it. That happened manly because Croatia defended really well ... but still it was a poor exhibition of Spain. Croatia also had the best chances ... Against Italy it was their first game of the group ... and not losing was more important than winning but still, once again they weren't really that good.

I also think it might be harder for us if it is Spain on the semi finals ... but after they win the WC, we already faced them and humiliated them. Sure it was a friendly match but still .... my point is that anything is possible ... but you can't possibly compare that future hypothetical game with the one that happened yesterday.
First because if such a game happens i expect Portugal to send at least 1 time the ball to Casilla's goal something that Czech didn't yesterday, i think.

 

[goldb]

The thing I find with Spain is that people have come to expect them to play at such as level similar to the styles that Barcelona have and they've maintain what I think is a higher level of results and dominance that it is noticeable when they don't particularly woo the crowd and fans. But this is real football and not a video game, the opponents come in all different tactics and plans to stifle your play, being able to keep your composure and play mentality is one thing Spain does better than most teams imo. I'd love to see Spain spank every team and play their usual style of football ALL the time but that won't happen, in the end it all just comes down to results and 9/10 times Spain, as well as Germany KNOW how to get the job done.

I think if Portugal meet Spain in the semis, it'll be a good game. IMO Portugal would try and play Spain at their own game and that be interesting to see how they go about that. But it's gonna take a very composed and focused approach to beat Spain.

 

[xi0]

Agreed. If you look to the midfield for both of those teams...well if it only came down to that, the result would be known 9/10 times IMO.

 

[jorped]

The thing I find with Spain is that people have come to expect them to play at such as level similar to the styles that Barcelona have and they've maintain what I think is a higher level of results and dominance that it is noticeable when they don't particularly woo the crowd and fans. But this is real football and not a video game, the opponents come in all different tactics and plans to stifle your play, being able to keep your composure and play mentality is one thing Spain does better than most teams imo. I'd love to see Spain spank every team and play their usual style of football ALL the time but that won't happen, in the end it all just comes down to results and 9/10 times Spain, as well as Germany KNOW how to get the job done.

I think if Portugal meet Spain in the semis, it'll be a good game. IMO Portugal would try and play Spain at their own game and that be interesting to see how they go about that. But it's gonna take a very composed and focused approach to beat Spain.

No need to say anything, about a team that has on the bench players like Mata, Fabregas .... it will be certainly difficult. But so far our defense and midfield has been really good, and Pepe and Bruno Alves have been appointed possibly as the best central double of the Euro so far .... but Spain has not only Iniesta but also Xavi and David Silva. David Silva has been imo the best of Spain so far ... Portugal can definitely win, but for that too happen we can't miss as many chances has we have been on the last games, were we could have ended the game with an enlarged result but only won by 1 goal difference.

And if possible we should try to command the game ... letting Spain freely control the game as they want will prove to be as dangerous as it was back at 1/8th finals of the WC 2010, where they beat us by one goal.

 

[BBB Banana]

I think there were two over rated teams in the competiton and those were Spain, and Netherlands.

Three teams that deserve their status which are France, Italy and Germany.

And two team that are under rated which are England and Portugal.

IMO as bob said people think spain is Barça and they aren't specially because they lack messi and that's why they are over rated.
Spain is just a good team with a lot of talent but they also fail sometimes as against Croatia. If Croatia almost beat them then any team in this phase can do so.

 

[FrostyMouse]

It's not like Holland's result this year is out of place though. In the past, Holland was often about style over substance and while supremely talented, they often failed spectacularly. You need to grind out wins at times, and they just couldn't do it this year, just like some years in the past with prior teams.

 

[BBB Banana]

Yeah they are bound to be the eternal 2nd Place

 

[Jorge D. Dragon]

I believe Germany should win today as the only thing Greece can show is to defend with 11 people and wait for some chance during corners. They might also try to simulate some injuries to get some germans out of the game as it is quite typical for Greece as it was during last 8-10 years.
For now Germany seems to have an upper hand, but they aren't lucky as the goal they've scored was deemed being scored from offside, but I don't think so as Schürle was in the right position.
Hope to see at least two goals in this game.

 

[Bugzee]

11 man defence line atm against Germany. Would love to see the Greeks score a late goal! Come on penalties!!!!!!!

 

[Jorge D. Dragon]

Don't know how, but Greece managed to score a goal. Totally out of place, but then Khedira and Klose has shown who's the boss.

 

[Kurohitsugi]

Six goals in a Greek match :P

Well done Greece for reaching the quarters! See you in the WC 2014. I wanna see Germany vs England now.

 

[Bugzee]

The Turks beat the Greeks.

 

[Jorge D. Dragon]

I think Greece is the luckiest team ever as practically without any performance the've managed to score first goal out of nothing and then managed to get a penalty out of nothing (as I've never seen such penalties to be given to any team with the exeption of Barcelona), while Germany played significantly better and could have scored way more goals, but just didn't have as much luck as Greece...
Well, today we are going to get one of the best battles in this tournament - France against Spain. Both teams seem to have some problems. Especially in attack department, but still they might give us a great performance and I don't know who can win as in such games any team have a chance even though Spain has better average class of its players, while France has younger players, thus they can outrun Spain, so it won't be an easy game for Spain at least.

 

[FrostyMouse]

I've been rather disappointed with France's effort tonight.

Xabi Alonso converts the penalty to end it.

 

[ibra87]

Hey goldb, I'mma apologize in advance for tomorrow evening. There is no shame in losing to Mario Brothers (Gianluigi & mario) .